Combustion applications are commonly used at oil and gas well sites in association with heater tanks, separators, treaters, amine re-boilers, and line heaters. Fuel being supplied to a burner unit or pilot in a combustion application is commonly channeled through a valve train before the fuel reaches the combustion site.
The valve train is used for, among other things, directing the fuel to the combustion application, straining or removing contaminants from the fuel, regulating gas pressure, regulating temperature at the combustion site, and controlling fuel flow. Gas valve trains may include a number of components such as pipe nipple, a Y-strainer, a regulator, safety shut-off valves, one or more control valves, gauges, manual shut-off valves, and various pressure sensors, pressure switches, and test points, to name but a few parts.
A control valve is an important part of the valve train because it may be used to regulate fuel flow in response to changes in fuel pressure or changes in temperature levels at the combustion site. Opening and closing of a control valve is commonly accomplished using an actuator assembly, which may be disposed above or adjacent the control valve.
There are a number of disadvantages to actuator assemblies for control valves currently used in the industry. One disadvantage is that many control valve actuators are large and heavy and can be cumbersome. Another disadvantage is that some control actuator components require configuring concurrently with installation of the control valve and associated actuator assembly in the valve train, increasing the amount of time to install or replace a control valve.
Another disadvantage to control valve actuator assemblies commonly used in the industry is that some externally connected components, such as wiring, pressure transducers and associated pressure conduits, or pressure tubes, may be exposed to weather and unwanted contact such as jarring or bumping and therefore may be more susceptible to breaking or wear out quickly. Externally configured components may need to be explosion proof and therefore more costly to manufacture.
Also, the electrical wiring configuration for many control valve actuator assemblies currently in the industry can be complex and require configuring multiple connection points.
Another disadvantage to many control valve actuator assemblies in the industry is that, if they have visual indicators for proof of closure, the indicators can be difficult to read making it challenging to know whether full closure of a control valve has been accomplished.
Thus, it is thus desirable to have an improved control valve actuator assembly that is lighter and more compact in size, simple in construction, improves the life of pressure transducers and associated components for pressure conduits or pressure tubes, and reduces the manufacturing costs.